Firsts in Assam (Female)

Achievement / Role

Name

Details / Year

First Woman Chief Minister of Assam

Syeda Anwara Taimur

Served 1980–1981 (Also India’s first female Muslim CM)

First Woman Union Minister from Assam

Renuka Devi Barkataki

Union Minister of State for Education & Social Welfare (1977–1979)

First Woman Member of Parliament (MP) & Deputy Speaker

Bonily Khongmen (Kabonmili Timungpi Khongmen)

Elected to 1st Lok Sabha in 1952

First Woman Minister in Assam State Cabinet

Padma Kumari Gohain

Served in the post-independence state cabinet

Achievement / Role

Name

Details / Year

First Assamese Woman I.A.S. Officer

Parul Devi Das

Joined IAS in 1975

First Assamese Woman I.P.S. Officer

Sanjukta Parashar

2006 Batch IPS

First Assamese Woman Police Officer in Delhi Police

Yamin Hazarika

Joined IPS/DANIPS in the late 1970s

First Assamese Woman High Court Judge

Justice Meera Sharma

Appointed to Gauhati High Court

First Woman Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Assam

Violet Baruah

Promoted in 2021

First Assamese Woman A.C.S. Officer

Suchibrata Rai Choudhury

Joined 1975

Achievement / Role

Name

Details / Year

First Woman President of Asam Sahitya Sabha

Nalini Bala Devi

1954 Jorhat Session

First Woman Jnanpith Awardee in Assamese

Mamoni Raisom Goswami (Dr. Indira Goswami)

Won in 2000

First Woman Sahitya Akademi Awardee in Assamese

Nalini Bala Devi

1968 (For poetry collection Alakananda)

First Assamese Woman Novelist / Author

Padmavati Devi Phukanani

Authored Sudharmar Upakhyan (1884)

First Assamese Women’s Magazine

Ghar Jeuti

Edited by Kamala Roy Choudhury & Kanaklata Chaliha (1927)

First Woman Literary Pensioner of Assam

Nalini Bala Devi

Recognized by Govt. of Assam

Achievement / Role

Name

Details / Year

First Assamese Film Actress

Aideu Handique

Played the lead role in first Assamese movie Joymoti (1935)

First Assamese Actress to win National Award for Best Actress

Malaya Goswami

Won for Firingoti (1991)

First Woman Music Director in Assamese Cinema

Dr. Anupama Bhattacharya

Composed background scores

First Assamese Woman Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee (Folk)

Pratima Pandey Barua

Icon of Goalpariya folk music

Achievement / Role

Name

Details / Year

First Assamese Female Graduates

Sukhalata Dowarah & Sudhalata Dowarah

Graduated in early 20th century

First Assamese Woman Medical Doctor

Dr. Rajaniprabha Das

Graduated from Calcutta Medical College

First Assamese Woman to Study Abroad (London)

Dr. Nirmalprabha Chaliha

Higher medical studies in London

First Assamese Woman Doctorate (Ph.D.)

Dr. Tillottama Gogoi / Dr. Kamala Roy

Academic pioneers in early 20th century

Achievement / Role

Name

Details / Year

First Assamese Woman to Summit Mount Everest

Rupamoni Gorh

Scaled Mt. Everest

First Assamese Woman Olympic Medalist

Lovlina Borgohain

Tokyo 2020 (Bronze in Boxing)

First Assamese Woman Arjuna Awardee

Monalisa Baruah Mehta

1987 (Table Tennis)

First Assamese Woman World Athletics Gold Medalist

Hima Das

2018 World U20 Championships (400m)

First Female Pilot from Assam

Dhira Chaliha Hazarika

Earned Private Pilot License in 1961

Achievement / Role

Name

Details / Year

First Female Martyr of Assam Freedom Struggle

Kanaklata Barua

Shot down during Quit India Movement (1942)

First Assamese Woman Padma Shri Awardee

Nalini Bala Devi

Awarded in 1957

First Assamese Woman Asom Ratna Awardee

Dr. Mamoni Raisom Goswami

Awarded in 2010

First Assamese Woman Jamnalal Bajaj Awardee

Amalprava Das

Awarded in 1980 for social service